Stevie Wonder performs "Superstition" live on Sesame Street 1973

Stevie Wonder appeared on Sesame Street April 12, 1973, during which he sings a 7-minute performance of Superstition.  Watch the video below.  Nuff said.

Final episode of "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" airs 1973

The twenty-fourth episode of the sixth season of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In was the last of the series, airing March 12, 1973. The first episode aired January 22, 1968. Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Gary Owens, and Ruth Buzzi appeared in all seasons.

The final episode starred Ernest Borgnine, Sammy Davis Jr., Robert Goulet, and Jo Anne Worley. The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate was awarded to the show itself.  The Cleveland Plain Dealer claimed that the show's jokes about Cleveland had caused economic damage to the city.

It was nominated for 32 Primetime Emmy Awards and won seven:

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Electronic Production for Arthur Schneider (1967)

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Music or Variety (1968)

Outstanding Musical or Variety Program for the 9/9/1967 episode (1968)

Outstanding Musical or Variety Series (1968)

Special Classification Achievements-Individuals (Variety Performances) for Arte Johnson (1969)

Outstanding variety or Musical Series

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music for Mark Warren

The series was nominated for 6 Golden Globes and won two:

Best TV Show (1969)

Best Supporting Actress-Television for Ruth Buzzi (1973)

Happy birthday, astronaut Josh Cassada!

Josh Cassada, born July 18, 1973 in San Diego, California, went into space as pilot of SpaceX Crew-5 to the International Space Station in October 2022.  Prior to becoming astronaut, he conducted research at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and became a naval officer.  He completed his flight training and flew in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

He was selected as an astronaut in 2013.  He spent over 157 days in space and participated in Expedition 68.  He returned to Earth in March 2023.

Gladys Knight & The Pips' "Midnight Train To Georgia" reaches #1 1973

Gladys Knight & the Pips' single Midnight Train to Georgia reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 October 27, 1973.  It stayed at the top for two weeks.  It is the most famous recording of the song written by Jim Weatherly and also recorded by Cissy Houston. 

Knight's performance won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1974.  In 1999, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  Rolling Stone has ranked it on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. 

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Oscar De La Hoya, Mexican-American boxer extraordinaire

Oscar De La Hoya, born February 4, 1973 in East Los Angeles, California, is the first boxer in history to win world titles in six different weight divisions: Super featherweight, Lightweight, Light Welterweight, Welterweight, Light Middleweight, and Middleweight.

Over his career of 45 professional boxing fights, he won 39 times, with only 6 losses. 

De La Hoya took home the gold medal in the 1992 Olympic games, and he was named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year in 1995.  In 2008, he was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame.

Roberta Flack wins 3 Grammy Awards 1973

Roberta Flack won two Grammy Awards for her performance of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face at the 15th annual ceremony held March 3, 1973.  She won Record of the Year with Joel Dorn, producer.  The second Grammy went to the songwriter Ewan MacColl for Song of the Year. 

The same night she won Best Pop Vocal Performance by Duo, Group or Chorus with Donnie Hathaway for their performance of Where is the Love?

Charley Pride won two Grammys.  Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs; and Best Country Song for Kiss an Angel Good Morning with songwriter Ben Peters.

Billy Preston won Best Pop Instrumental Performance for Outa-Space.

Shelly Winters wins Golden Globe 1973

Shelly Winters won  the Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture at the 30th ceremony held January 28, 1973.  She won for her performance as Belle Rosen in The Poseidon Adventure.

I just found out that she did her own stunts during the underwater scene where she frees Gene Hackman from drowning.

Happy birthday, space tourist Mark Shuttleworth!

Mark Shuttleworth, born September 18, 1973 in South Africa, is the first African from an independent country to travel to space. He launched aboard Soyuz TM-34 in April 2002 as a space tourist to the International Space Station, and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-33 in May 2002, having spent almost 10 days in space.

Happy birthday, Mr. Fantastic actor Ioan Gruffudd!

Gorgeous Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd, born October 6, 1973 in Cardiff, Wales, is known for his work as Horatio Hornblower and Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four.  I don't remember him in Titanic, but I do remember him as a jerk in San Andreas.  

Still, he's one of my favorites.

The Sweet's "Little Willy" is certified Gold 1973

The Sweet released their single Little Willy in May 1972 and was certified gold April 25, 1973.  Although rock music journalists "loathed it", it became a huge success for The Sweet.  It was their biggest hit in the US, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

Ruth Buzzi wins Golden Globe 1973

The wonderful, hilarious Ruth Buzzi won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In at the 30th awards ceremony January 28, 1973.  She was nominated five times for an Primetime Emmy for her work.

Mariner 10 launched 1973

Mariner 10, launched November 3, 1973, was the first spacecraft to to visit two planets.  It was the last spacecraft of the Mariner program.  It made a flyby of Venus in February 1974.  It proceeded to make three flybys of Mercury in March 1974, September 1974 and then March 1975.  

Mariner 10 was decommissioned shortly after.

Billy Joel releases single "Piano Man" 1973

My man Billy Joel released the single Piano Man November 2, 1973.  It was the first single from the album of the same name, which he released November 9. It was a moderate hit hit only reaching #25 on the Billboard Hot 100.  After he released his next album The Stranger, his breakthrough album, Piano Man became one of his best-known, most-beloved songs.

In 2015, it was selected to be preserved by the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". 

Maureen McGovern's "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure reaches #1 1973

Maureen McGovern's performance of The Morning After from The Poseidon Adventure reached #1 on the Billboard charts August 4, 1973 and stayed there for two weeks.  It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in March 1973.

Salyut 2 space station launched 1973

Salyut 2

Salyut 2 patch

Salyut 2, launched April 3, 1973, was a Soviet space station and part of their military program Almaz.  The rocket upon which Salyut 2 was launched entered orbit with the space station, but three days later it exploded.  Debris from the explosion struck Salyut 2 and damaged the hull, causing depressurization.  Solar panels were ripped off, so the space station could not generate power.  It lost attitude control and its orbit decayed.  It re-entered the atmosphere on May 28, without any crews ever visiting it.

Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" 1973

Stevie Wonder's single Superstition, from his fifteenth studio album Talking Book (released October 1972) reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B charts, January 27, 1973.  Rolling Stone has ranked it as No. 74 on the list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Happy birthday, astronaut Kjell Lindgren!

Kjell Lindgren, born January 23, 1973 in Taipei, Taiwan, is a NASA astronaut and has spent 141 days on the International Space Station.  He went into space aboard Soyuz TMA-17M in July 2015 as part of Expeditions 44 and 45.  He returned to Earth in December 2015.

During the mission, he played the bagpipes aboard the ISS, a first.

Lunokhod 2 rover begins exploration of the moon 1973

Lunakhod 2, launched in Luna 21, landed on the moon and began its exploration January 16, 1973.  It landed the day before.  The rover ran during the day and recharged its batteries with solar panels, and then hibernated at night, heated by a radioactive source.

It operated for four months until May and covered 23 miles before it fell into a crater and was covered with dust. 

"Arnold" released 1973

Horror-comedy movie Arnold, from director Georg Fenady, was released November 16, 1973.  It starts with the recently deceased Lord Arnold Dwellyn getting married to his fiance Karen, played by Stella Stevens.  Arnold knows his family is greedy and after his money so he sets deadly traps for them all over his estate.

It also starred Roddy McDowall and Elsa Lanchester.  It was nominated for a Saturn Award (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror) for best horror film in 1975 but lost to The Exorcist.

Happy birthday, Dr. Hugh Culber!

Handsome Puerto Rican actor Wilson Cruz, born December 27, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, starred in a ground-breaking role as Dr. Hugh Culber, an openly gay man in Star Trek: Discovery.  It is the first Star Trek series to feature an openly gay couple.  Cruz stars with Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets) on the show. 

Cruz has appeared on television and screen since 1994.  He appeared in an episode of Pushing Daisies with Kristen Chenoweth. 

Cruz's Star Trek: Discovery character was killed during the first season, but he remains elusive as to whether or not his character will re-appear in the second season.